Jimmy Carter was born in Plains, Georgia on
October 1, 1924. His full name is James Earl Carter, Jr., but he has always
preferred to be called Jimmy. As a boy, he attended public schools in Plains and
lived on his family's farm. He did well in school, and at home he was involved
in the family's discussions ranging from the business of his father's peanut
farm to local and world politics. Carter continued his education at Georgia
Southwestern, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and then the U.S. Naval Academy,
where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1946. He furthered his study of
nuclear physics with graduate work at Union College.

Carter pursued his career in the U.S. Navy
until 1953. He served on submarines, became a Lieutenant Senior Grade, and worked
on the country's nuclear submarine program under Admiral Hyman Rickover. Jimmy
Carter's father passed away in 1953, and Carter decided to leave the Navy and
return to Plains, Georgia to head up his family's peanut business. He succeeded in
running the business profitably and also became involved in local politics. He
ran for the Georgia Senate in 1962, and won. On January 12, 1971 he became the
state of Georgia's 76th governor. During his governorship, he spoke out on topics
he strongly believed in, such as ending racial discrimination, and he began to
form alliances with civil rights leaders. In 1974, Carter declared that he would
seek the office of President of the United States. His candidacy was an uphill
battle, but he secured the 1976 Democratic nomination, and went on to defeat
incumbent president Gerald R. Ford in the general election. Carter became the
nation's 39th president, with Walter F. Mondale, Senator from Minnesota as vice
president.

Carter's presidency enjoyed its successes,
but foreign and domestic problems did not make it a smooth ride. Carter was a
strong proponent of human rights, the environment, and responsible government. He
established a national energy policy in response to rapid price increases and
shortages after the Iranian revolution. He fought for treaties with Panama that
would return control of the Panama Canal to Panama. Carter's devotion to peace
efforts finally achieved a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt that was signed
at Camp David in 1979. Carter and Soviet president Leonid Brezhnev signed the
Salt II disarmament agreements for ratification, but then the Soviets invaded
Afghanistan, and Carter retaliated with a U.S. trade embargo and a boycott of the
1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. In 1979, the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was seized by
a group of Iranians, and 55 hostages were taken captive. The "hostage crisis"
remained a problem for Carter throughout the rest of his administration.

On the domestic scene, Carter's adminstration
had difficulties controlling inflation and unemployment. He was successful with
domestic social and environmental legislation, but he could not shake the "hostage
crisis" or the country's economic problems, and Carter lost the 1980 presidential
campaign to Ronald Reagan. Ironically, Iran released the hostages on the day that
Jimmy Carter left office.

As a former U.S. President, Jimmy Carter has
remained active in world and national affairs. He remains an advocate for human
rights, civil rights, the environment, and world peace. In 1982 he founded the
Carter Center in Atlanta, a non-profit organization that promotes peace and human
rights throughout the world.

Jimmy Carter kept daily journals throughout
his presidency, and has continued to write throughout his post-presidential career.
We suggest that you read the following books by Jimmy Carter. Just click on the
titles to purchase from Amazon.com:
Keeping Faith : Memoirs of a President
A well-written account of his presidency, drawn from Carter's extensive daily
journals.
The Blood of Abraham : Insights into the Middle East
In a new edition of this national bestseller, Carter explores the history of
each of the nations that comprise the Middle East, the reasons for their different
goals, and the nature of their prime concerns.
Living Faith
A very personal memoir of Jimmy Carter's more recent thoughts on life, spiritual faith,
and the world.